(20.Februar) Intelsat did not respond to ICIJ’s specific questions about whether or not it its customers paid reduced or no taxes under treaties. It told ICIJ that, in general, “we pay withholding taxes, where required, through contractual terms with our customers in the countries where the services are being consumed.” Airtel declined to comment.

“That’s exactly the problem,” said Alvin Mosioma, executive director of Tax Justice Network – Africa, who described telecommunications companies as “one of the major culprits on the continent when it comes to aggressive tax avoidance.”